|
I cross the bridge, much easier now with the walk-way they've added.
About half a mile past the far side of the bridge I find DeVere, a friendly fellow who bought the old log cabin post
office and the old train car where my brother and I spent the night back in 1978.
| Ferry - the old rail car is on the right. |
|
|
| DeVere is a real Alaskan character. |
|
|
| "Festus of the Arctic" |
DeVere is one of those uniquely Alaskan characters you only find in
the far north. He calls himself "the Festus of the Arctic" as he quit the employment grind back in the early 1980's
to live out here in his cabin in Ferry. Every year he runs the annual 4th of July "Ferry Yard Party" where anyone
is welcome to attend. If you want to experience the full moon ceremony, he says to get there before 5 PM when the train
comes by. If pushed to come up with a job title for himself, he will say he is a D.D.S.D. If prodded even further to
reveal what that means, he just might tell you with a hearty laugh that it stands for "direct deposit sperm donor."
After swapping stories about the old
days, I say goodbye to DeVere and head back across the bridge. From there I get back on the highway and continue south towards
Healy.
Finally I arrive at the venue for my talk, the Healy Public Library,
located inside the Tri-Valley High School. As I get out of my car, I can hardly believe what I see:
| Towering above the school's Viking statue |
|
|
| it's JUMBO DOME, now coated in snow. |
| And the snowy peak above the school's sign... |
|
|
| It's SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN! |
And so I begin the very last public book event of my tour in the shadow
of the mountains I lived and dreamed upon.
| That night I stay at the DENALI DOME HOME in Healy |
|
|
| You can't beat the 4-story DOME HOME Bed & Breakfast for great views and hospitality. |
| Here the garden shed is also a dome. |
|
|
| And so is the dog house. |
| At the Dome Home, I find one more special dome. |
|
|
| The peak on the far left is my Jumbo Dome. |
Tomorrow I will go back to Fairbanks for more meetings with people,
but as I enter my 5th week on the road, I know my public presentations are over. After all these weeks on the road, the book
tour is starting to wind down. In a week, I will be back in England, sifting through all the memories and experiences I have
had on this busy book tour. But for now...
| That night I go to sleep in a pretty pine bed, |
|
|
| reflecting on how the cycle has come full circle. Before I drift off, I notice... |
|
|
| The picture above me is a jeep on a snowy adventure, just like me & my faithful old Landcruiser, |
Midnight comes.
Outside the light starts to fade and the shiny moon rises over us all.
|
